Red-Red-Red-Red-Redneck
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| Blake Shelton has a pensive moment
The Inky Jukebox
does not know whether Blake Shelton, experienced entertainer that he is, should
be taken at his word when he appeared taken aback at how populous and exuberant
the Pittsburgh crowd was on August 2. It had been years since he’d played in the
area, and his star has risen in recent years by dint of his role as a coach on The Voice. From what The Inky Jukebox heard, a number of
concert-goers were there to see what he was all about for the first time. We’d
like to believe he really meant it, that he wasn’t just delivering schlock when
he expressed his appreciation. Why? Because Blake Shelton appeared to give his
all and delivered a rollicking good show.
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| He may have said he was nervous, but he sure didn't seem it. |
What makes a good show, you ask? Well, playing hit after hit
after hit helps. Playing them well doesn’t hurt.
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| An acoustic set out in the audience |
The banter with the crowd in
between songs was not only detail-oriented (referring to actual people in the
actual crowd), but funny as hell. It doesn’t matter if the old
hidden-mullet-in-the-hat trick was a tad predictable; the way he pulled it off
made us all laugh out loud. We did not LOL; we laughed our asses off.
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| Some beach, somewhere. |
Mr.
Shelton can also really play and really sing, and he makes being on stage look
effortless.
Here’s Shelton singing his hit “Home” after getting the crowd
to twinkle their cell phones. It was purdy.
Footage courtesy of The Inky Jukebox
The crowd at the First Niagara Pavilion was thick and in the
mood to party, and sang along to every word.
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| The hill already packed for the opening acts |
They were even out in force for the
opening act, country music nice boy Easton Corbin, who gave a solid set of the
old-school country style, liberally sprinkled with fiddle leads and lap steel.
He delighted all by pulling out two bang-on covers: Brooks and Dunn’s “Boot
Scootin’ Boogie,” and Alabama’s “If You’re Gonna Play In Texas.”
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| Easton Corbin |
Corbin was preceded by actress-turned-country cutie-pie Jana
Kramer, who flitted about the stage in an outfit designed to please (the boys):
tank top, leather hot pants and Louboutin heels.
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| Well hello, Jana Kramer. |
With her long dark hair and
legs for miles, Kramer is one of those ladies who is clearly always the hottest
girl in the room (or amphitheater). It’s no wonder Brantley Gilbert said “I’ll
have her, thanks.” She can sing just like she does on her records, needing no
celebrity partner to carry her weight. The line to meet her after the show was
LONG.
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| The more he drinks, the more he drinks, the more he drinks. |
Go see Blake Shelton. The man is a born entertainer and gives you your money's worth and then some. He's no BS; he's the real deal.
